Apparatus for landing and housing dirigibles



Dec. 1, 1931. c. w. PURNELL APP Filed Sept. 25, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l Ca/ Zes Zfl pza vzeZZ Dec. 1, 1931. c. W..PURNELL APPARATUS FOR LANDING AND HOUSING DIRIGIBLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1929 ATTORNEY Dec. 1, 1931. Q w UR L 1,834,220

APPARATUS FOR LANDING AND HOUSING DIRIGIBLES Filed Sept. 23, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 M N Q III IIh- II VNN illlll A m I DeC. 1, 1931. c w PURNELL 1,834,220

APPARATUS FOR LANDING AND HOUSING DIRIGIBLES Filed Sept. 23, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES W. PURNELL, OF NATCI-IEZ, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE C. MOORE, F NATGHEZ, MISSISSIPPI APPARATUS FOR LANDINGAND HOUSING DIRIGIBLES ApplicationifiledSeptember 23, 1929. SerialiNo. 394,578.

This invention relates to an apparatus for landing and housing dirigibles, the general object of the invention being to provide means whereby a dirigible can be landed and placed in a hangar and removed from the hangar. by a small landing crew, such means consisting of a track and a number of cars having their wheels engaging therails of the track in such a manner that there is no danger of the cars being lifted from the rails, with i V clutch means for connecting the drive gear motor driven means on each car for operating a drum to which a cableofvthe craft is connected and for moving the car along the track.

Another object of the invention is to provide clutch means for connectingthe drum with and disconnecting it from the motor, with manually operated ratchet means for preventing retrograde movement of the drum until the cable is to be unwound therefrom .nected with the interior-framework of the craft and can be passed through port holes in the sides of the body so that each side of I the craft is attached by the cables to a number of cars arranged on a track at each side ofmoved into the hangar without danger of inj uring the craft.

This invention also consists in certain other. features of construction and in the combina tion and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the inventionin detail, ref-..

Figure 1 is a top plan view showinga craft attached to the cars so that the craftcan be moved into its hangar, the v hangar being 50 v l v shownin section.

Figure 2 is an elevation of Figure 1. i Figure 3 is a section on'line 33 of Figure 4. V

Figure 4 is an elevation of one of the cars and a portion of the track.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of one-of the ears and a portion of the track.

, Figure 6 is a-sectional view through the drum and its associated parts. Figure 7 is a sectional view through the on the motor shaft to said shaft.

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Figure 3.

Figure 9'is a section on line 9--9'of Figure 3. p v

Figure 10 is a section on line 10 10 of F igure li Y Figure 11 is a section on line 11-11 of Fig ure 10.

Figure 12 is a section on line 1212 of Figure 3. v

Figure 13 is a section on line 1313 of Figure '3, and showing how the lug on the drum engages and releases the cable.

I Figure 14 is a fragmentary side view showing how two rails of the track are joined together.

Figure 15 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of one end of one rail. t Figure 16 is a similar view of one end of the adjacent rail. 1. I

. In these drawings, the letter A indicates a pair of tracks which extend from a point adjacent the rear of the hangar B to any desired point in front of the hangar, these tracks having the bumpers or stops 1 at their ends and each track comprises a pair of rails 2 of I shape in cross section, with the lower portions of the rails embedded in a concrete foundation 3, the lower flanges of the rails .bights resting on portionsof the platform and bolted thereto and their limbs depending from the platform, with some of the limbs passing through openings in theplatform. Each corner hanger supports the four rollerlike wheels 8, two ofthe wheels engaging the top of the rail and the other two engaging the lower surface of the top part of the rail,

as clearly shown in Figure 3. Each of these wheels is mounted on a stationary axle .9 fastened to'the hanger, with roller bearlngs between the inner circumference of the wheel and the axle and I prefer to fasten the'axle V bearings 17 between the wheel and shaft to K reduce friction. Each-wheel 12 is connected 7 with a wheel 15 by. the gears18 which are fastened to the wheels, so that 1 the lower wheels are driven from the upper wheels and as these upper wheels arefastened to the shaft 13, these upper wheels will be driven from said shaft.

A motor M is supported by the platform and its shaft 19 has its ends journaled in the uprights 20 carried by the platform. A pinion 21 has its hub 22 rotatably arranged on a portion of the shaft 19 and saidhub'has clutch teeth at its outer end which are adapted to be engaged by: the clutch teeth on a clutch collar 23 which is slidably but nonrotatably connected-with the shaft 19 by the keys 24; A ring 25 is rotatably arranged in the groove in said collar and said ring is connected to a hand lever 26 by the pin and slot connections 27 so that by manipulating the lever, the clutch collar can be moved into operative and inoperative position. The pinion 21 meshes with an idle gear 28 car.- ricd by the platform and this gear 28 meshes with a gear 29 fastened to the shaft 13 so that when the clutch is in operative position,.the shaft 13 will be driven from the motor and thus the wheels carried by the hangers '7 will be rotated to cause movement of the car on the track. The motor, of course, is a reversible one and is controlled in the: ordinary manner from the controller box D. Current is suppliedto the motor from the third rail 30 placed in a conduit 3-1 formed in the foundation between the rails of each track through the shoe carrying member 32 connected with the carriage and passing through the slot 33, with the shoes engaging the third rail, these shoes being, electrically connected with the motor. 5

A drum 34 is rotatably arranged on the shaft 19 and is adapted to be connected with spring 40 acts to hold the dog in either one of its two positions after the dog has been moved by hand. 1

A hook-shaped lug 41 is carried by the drum for receiving the eye 42 of a cable 43 so that when the eye is placed over the lug, as shown in full lines in Figure 13 and the drum rotated, the cable will be carried around 7 with the drum and thus be wound thereon,

and'when the cable is beingunwound from the drum, the eye will slip off of the lug at the endof the unwinding action, as shown in dotted lines on the right side of Figure 13.

A brake, shown generally at- 44 in Figure "3, is providedfor the'shaft 13, theband of this brake being contracted and expandedthrough means of a ha-nd lever 45 so that an operator on the car can apply the brake when it is desired to brake the car.

The cables 43 pass through port holes 46 in the sides of thedirig'ible D and are fastened V to the interior framework. l

. The various parts can be lubricated in any suitable manner, the drawings showing cups 47 and Figure 6 shows a tube 48passingfrom one side of theldrum' to a space 49 between the axle and the central tubularpart .of the drum, so that lubricant inserted into the tube 48 will reach the space and thus lubricate the parts- The rails are connected together forminga dovetail notch 50 in an end of one rail to receive a dovetail projection 51 on the end of another rail and then the ends of the rails are welded together so that the rails are firmly connected together. I

Thus it will be seen that when a dirigible wishes to land, it is simply necessary for members of the crew thereof to throw the cables 43 through the port holes 46 to enable the ground crew to seize the cables and attach them to the drums. Then an operator on each car shifts the lever 36 to connect the drum with the motor, whereby the cables will be wound upon the drums and the craft lowered to 'a position where it can enter the hangar. Thedogs 37, engaging the ratchets 38, will prevent unwinding of the cables from the drums and then the drums are released from the shaft, after which another operator manipulates the'lever 26 to connect the pinion 21 with the motorshaft so that this pinion will cause the gears 28 and 29 to drive the shaft 13 which in turn will impart movements to the drive wheels 12 and 15 so that the cars will be propelled along the tracks and thus carry the dirigible into the hangar.

All the cars should have the parts adjusted I to be eonnected with drums of the cars "on one track and the cables on the opposite cars are not in motion, the brakes 44 should k I j with the drums 'of t'he cars onthe other track, I'neans"for rotating the drum on each car to, 'wind a cable thereon and propulsion means for'eacli can, i

to travel at the same speed so that they will keep their relative positions and when the be applied to prevent them from moving while the cables are being attached to the drums or detached therefrom and while being wound on or unwound from the drums.

Attention is called to the fact that a number of cars is attached by the cables to each movement and can be properly handled even in high winds.

Attention is also called to the fact that the parts are so constructed and arranged as to withstand the strain of the upward pull exerted on them by the dirigible, as each rail is practically of one piece and the rails are firmly anchored in their foundations and each car is held on its track by six sets of roller-like wheels, with one pair of each set engaging an under part of a rail. The

wheels are also firmly connected with the platform of the car by the hangers which pass through portions of the platform.

When the craft is to be used, the cars are run out of the hangar and then the drums are released from the drive shafts by moving the dogs 37 to inoperative position, so that the strain on the cables will rotate the drums in a reverse direction, thus permitting the cables to unwind from the drums, the eyes passing off the lugs when the cables are fully unwound from the drums, as before explained and as shown in detail in Figure l3. Then the cables are pulled through the port holes by the crew of the craft and coiled in the body ready for use again when the craft is to land. As before stated, with this invention, a small ground crew can handle the ship. For instance, where it takes from 600 to 900 men to handle a ship, with this invention, about 25 men can handle a-ship. Of course, this depends on the length of the ship and the number of cars used. It is preferable to have two men on each car, one to operate the lever for the drum and the other the lever for connecting the propelling wheels to the motor, with a man at each side of the car and a captain for the men.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

l/Vha-t I claim is 2- 1. In combination with a dirigible and its hangar, a pair of tracks extending into the hangar, a number of cars on each track, a drum on each car, a. number of cables excables on o'neside of'the'shi-p being adapted side of the ship ad'apted tojbe connected 2." In"coinbination with a dirigibleand its hangar, a p ai1'- of tracks-extending into' the side of the craft, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, so that the craft is held against sidewlse hangar, a' numb'er of Carson each track, a drum on each car, cables extending'through oneside ofithe ship and adapted 'tobe connected with the drums'on thecars on one means including clutchuneans' for driving some of the fwhelslof the car fronrthe motor. In "an apparatusfor'la'nding dirigibles, a track, a car on said track, each rail of the track having its upper part'of T shape, a plurality of sets of roller-like wheels carried by the car, a pair of each set engaging the under face of a rail and another pair of each set engaging the upper face of the rail and power means for rotating the wheels of some of the sets to propel the car along the track. 4. In an apparatus for landing dirigibles,

a track, a car on said track, each rail of the track having its upper part of 'T shape, a

plurality of sets of roller-like wheels carried under face of a rail and another pair of each set engaging the upper face of the rail, power means for rotating the wheels of some of the sets to propel the car along the track, such means comprising a driven shaft connected with the upper wheels of the driven sets and gearing connecting these pairs of wheels with the lower pairs- 5. In a dirigible landing device, a track, a car thereon, a drum on the car, a number of hangers at each side of the car, an upper pair and a lower pair of wheels carried by. each hanger, thelower pair engaging the under face of a rail and the upper pair the upper face thereof, a shaft journaled in the two central hangers and connected with theupper pairs of wheels of said hangers, gears connecting the upper pair of wheels of these hangers with the lower pair thereof, a motor on the car, means, including clutch means, for connecting the motor with the shaft and clutch means for connecting the motor with the drum.

6. In combination with a dirigible and its hangar, said dirigible having ports in its sides, cables connected with the interior framework of the dirigible. and adapted to be passed through the ports, a pair of tracks extending into the hangar, a number of cars on each track,- a drum on each car, thecables being adapted to be connected with the drums y when dropped through the ports, means for rotating the drums to wind the cables there- I i on, means for propelling the cars to move the dirigible into and out of the hangar, man- 7 ually operated ratchet means for each drum for preventing unwinding of the cable thereon, but when moved to inoperative osition permitting the cable to unwind there om. 7 In combination with a dirigible and itshangamapair of tracks, extending mto the hangar, a number of cars on eachgtrack, 7

winding means on each car, cables extendin through ports in the sides of the shipan adapted to: be connected with the winding means ofthe cars, the cables extending from one side ofthe ship being connected withthe cars on one track and the cables at the other side of the ship. being connected with thelc'a'rs i on the second track.

In testimon whereof I aflizi mysi attire.

'HARLES W. P B LL.

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